March 2023 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Deutsche Oper Berlin’s production of Richard Strauss’ Arabella by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums of March

1. JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown- Scaring the Hoes

Noise devolution.

2. Morgan Wallen- One Thing at a Time

My review.

3. Cécile McLorin Salvant- Mélusine

Peculiar chansons.

4. Eddie Chacon- Sundown

Quiet storm.

5. London Brew- London Brew

Restorative.

6. Slowthai- Ugly

Life is hard.

7. Willie Nelson- I Don’t Know a Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard

Nor do I.

8. Laura Schuler Quartet- Sueños Paralelos

My review.

9. MSPAINT- Post-American

Punk progression.

10. Wadada Leo Smith- Fire Illuminations

Conflagration.

Top Ten Songs of March

1. Shay Lia- "Takutá'"

Hopscotch.

2. RP Boo- "B.O.T.O."

Fancy footwork.

3. Baaba Maal- "Freak Out"

Chic.

4. Kassa Overall featuring Nick Hakim and Theo Croker- "Make My Way Back Home"

Prodigal.

5. Meshell Ndegeocello- "Virgo"

Back to the stars.

6. Moor Mother- "We Got the Jazz"

From strength to strength.

7. Las Marias- "Ismael"

Spring has sprung.

8. EST Gee- “Pray You Die in Surgery”

Cursed.

9. Sleaford Mods featuring Perry Farrell- "So Trendy"

Shouty.

10. Atmosphere- "Bigger Picture"

The relentless march of time.

Top Ten Concerts of March

1. Ghais Guevara, Tricky Youth, Student 1, Midwestern, Tabby, Defo, Laaee Uzumak and Young Mvchetes at Farewell and Howdy

My review.

2. Boston Camerata’s “Dido & Aeneas” at Community Christian Church

My Instagram photo.

3. Bill Frisell at 1900 Building

My impressions.

4. Artemis at the Gem Theater

My review.

5. Austin Plaine, Katie Toupin and the Pinkerton Raid at the Monarch (Louisville)

My Instagram clip.

6. CRAG Quartet, Joshua Gerowitz with Vinny Golia and the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society of Kansas City at the Bunker Center for the Arts

My review.

7. Cynthia van Roden at the Market at Meadowbrook

My Instagram photo.

8. Te Deum’s “Solemn Vespers” at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

My Instagram photo.

9. Electronic Music Midwest Festival at Kansas City Kansas Community College (concerts one, five and eight)

My review.

10. Kristina Gaddy, Nadia Ramlagan and Blakeley Burger at Carmichael’s Bookstore (Louisville)

My Instagram clip.

The previous monthly survey is here.

Concert Review: Gorillaz at the Moda Center

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

Let’s get the most embarrassing bit out of the way at the top: this grown man paid $50 to attend a concert by a cartoon band on Wednesday, September 14.  But Gorillaz isn’t necessarily for the children.  In fact, the fabricated project is one of the best pop acts of the new millennium.

Having never witnessed a Gorillaz performance, I’d long been curious about the presentation.  Live footage of 12 flesh-and-blood musicians were projected on a pair of monitors on either side of a giant screen showing Gorillaz-themed animation at the Moda Center.

The amiable Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn interacted with his band and with virtual appearances by artists including Little Dragon, Slowthai and Thundercat.  Unfortunately, the in-person guest artists including Bootie Brown of the Pharcyde  and opening band EarthGang relied on tired clichés.

Enormously entertained but emotionally unmoved, I felt as if I were watching psychedelic variations of Tom and Jerry cartoons from a gargantuan couch with room for 14,000 people.  Members of the vast throng didn’t share my lackluster reaction.

Dressed as if a Hot Topic delivery truck had exploded inside the home court of the Portland Trail Blazers, fans with green hair wearing baggy pants and an inexplicable number of Korn t-shirts experienced a profound form of musical engagement that eluded me.

July 2021 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of Bahar Pars in the trailer for En man som heter Ove.

Top Ten Albums (released in July, not including July 30 titles)

1. Lise Davidsen and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra- Sibelius: Luonnotar, Op. 70 & Other Orchestral Works

Finnish fever dreams.

2. Cochemea- Vol. II: Baca Sewa

My review.

3. Rey Sapienz and the Congo Technical Ensemble- Na Zala Zala

African footwork.

4. Les Filles de Illighadad- At Pioneer Works

Tuareg trance.

5. Rodney Crowell- Triage

The truth hurts.

6. Maya Beiser- Maya Beiser x Philip Glass

Transparent cello.

7. Attacca Quartet- Real Life

My review.

8. Drakeo the Ruler- Ain't That the Truth

Truth to tell.

9. Alasdair Roberts and Völvur- The Old Fabled River

Scottish/Norwegian freak-folk.

10. Leon Bridges- Gold-Diggers Sound

Bridges’ best album by a country mile.

Top Ten Songs (released in July)

1. Little Simz- “I Love You, I Hate You”

Decisive.

2. IDK with the Neptunes, Swae Lee and Rico Nasty- "Keto"

On sight.

3. Snow Tha Product- "Que Oso"

Agua bendita.

4. Big30 featuring Yo Gotti- "Too Official"

Outlawed.

5. Lolo Zouaï- “Galipette”

Candy store.

6. Willow featuring Cherry Glazerr- “¡Breakout”

Ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb!

7. Kevin Abstract featuring Snot and Slowthai- “Slugger”

“On my Lauryn Hill ish.”

8. Tinashe- “Bouncin’”

Elastic.

9. Billie Eilish- “NDA”

Creep.

10. Lorde- “Stoned at the Nail Salon”

Pure heroine.

Top Ten Concerts (attended in July)

1. Pistol Pete- recordBar

The rapper was accompanied by the rock band Various Blonde.

2. Te Deum- St. Mary's Episcopal Church

Latin vespers.

3. Eddie Moore, Ryan Lee and Zach Morrow- Charlotte Street Foundation

My review will be published at Plastic Sax on August 1.

4. Kyle Hutchins, Aaron Osborne, Seth Davis and Evan Verploegh- Charlotte Street Foundation

My review.

5. Summerfest- Atonement Lutheran Church

My notes.

6. Trinity Jazz Ensemble- Rolling Hills Church

My review.

7. Jackie Myers, Matt Hopper and Ben Tervort- Market at Meadowbrook

Fresh readings of jazz standards.

8. Granger Smith- KC Live 

Yee yee!

9. Rod Fleeman, Gerald Spaits and Ray DeMarchi- Green Lady Lounge

Spare the Rod, spoil the month.

10. Big Spin- 1400 Union

Explosive Fourth of July punk party.

Top Ten Films (viewed for the first time in July)

1. Z (1969)

Grotesque political thuggery in Greece.

2. The Steel Helmet (1951)

War is hell.

3. Der blau Engel/The Blue Angel (1930)

L-o-l-a, Lola.

4. Fruitvale Station (2013)

Oscar Grant III.

5. En man som heter Ove/A Man Called Ove (2015)

Saab story.

6. Journey into Fear (1943)

WWII noir.

7. Summer of Soul (2021)

So much talking.

8. Mahler (1974)

Wut.

9. The Wrath of God (1972)

Proto-Tarantino bloodbath.

10. The Hunt (2020)

Deplorable!

June’s recap and links to previous monthly surveys are here.